Morning Roses
by Lexi Teniro
Summary: The kitchen staff are on strike, the cat won't leave him alone, and to top it all off, the neighboring country wants to declare war. What's a lord to do? ...Hire a new cook. [YokoxBotan, AU] [Holy hand grenades, Batman, I updated YET AGAIN!]
1. Here, kitty kitty kitty

**Morning Roses**

**Chapter 1: Here, kitty-kitty-kitty…**

Disclaimer: I'd say I owned it, but I'd get killed. …I mean sued.

A/N: I drew a random picture of Botan, decided it should be the ending of a fic, and here I am. No, you may not know what the picture is of. That would give away the ending. Anyway, this is going to start out very light, but there will eventually be dark undertones, though still plenty of humor. This is VERY AU. It is not in Japan, or even really in this world. Later on there may be small hints of Hiei/Shizuru in addition to the Yoko/Botan, so be warned. ANYWHO, we begin!

**.x.x.x.x.**

The Great Lord Yoko Kurama was having troubles.

He had been struggling for hours, and nothing was working.

Finally, he admitted defeat.

"Damn thing," he muttered, letting the kitten curl up in his lap without any more fight. A servant giggled and he shot a death glare her way, along with a mental note to fire her.

As anyone can tell, the Great Lord Yoko Kurama was NOT having a good day.

First, he had awoken to the kitten scratching at his door. Who knew where the kitten had come from? He ordered a random servant to remove it, and tried to get in some more sleep. This failed miserably, as the cat came back. He sighed and got out of his exceedingly comfortable plush bed, rubbing his silvery fox ears to get the circulation going. He hated having cold ears in the morning. And the servants had once again neglected to light a fire in his chambers. Grumbling and resisting the urge to kick the kitten, he wrapped a deep teal silk robe around himself and headed down along the cold corridors to the kitchen.

The kitten followed him.

It was a nice little kitten—clean, well groomed, and attractive—but Yoko did not particularly like cats. In fact, before about noon, he didn't particularly like anything. Although he dearly wanted some tea.

Well, to top of his wonderful morning, not only was the kitchen staff on strike, they had taken the tea with them.

He hated mornings.

Another few pain-filled minutes later, here he was, in his study, trying to read, with a spoiled, purring cat on his lap.

And people said the Lord Yoko had it good.

**.x.x.x.x.**

Botan chopped up a few more vegetables, humming a tune. She had always liked mornings. She reached up and tied back the cheerful off-white curtains on her window, letting the bright morning sun shine warmly on her worn wooden table. The water in the pot sparkled merrily when she splashed in the turnips. The young woman glanced out the window, mildly interested in the two well-bred horses coming toward her house at a gallop.

Yes, the horses, and not the riders.

She was a bit too much of an animal lover, to be honest.

Her little orange and white cat rubbed up against her leg and mewed loudly. She petted its head affectionately with one hand and grinned when it purred. Suddenly, the cat's fur stood on end, and it hissed loudly a few times before taking off for the other room. She frowned, looking for the horses again. Slightly disappointed, she noted that they had disappeared from her view.

A knock at the door blew these thoughts from her mind.

"One moment please!" she called, rapidly untying her white, stained apron over her simple cherry-red short-sleeved dress.

The knocking persisted.

She frowned. "I said one moment!"

The cat mewed from the other room.

Botan sighed and hung up the apron on a brass hook, stirred her soup one more time, wiped her hands on a rag, and went to the door. "Hello!" she said cheerfully.

The two men lowered their heads in the customary gesture of respect. "May we come in?" the larger asked.

"Of course!" she bubbled.

They entered her small, two-room cabin, and she noted their expensive silken clothing. Why would men this well off be visiting her?

Ignoring her bemused expression, they sat gingerly in two wooden chairs.

The small, brunette man spoke first. "Well…um…we come to ask if you are interested in…employment."

She blinked a few times. "Employment? Of what kind?"

He glanced at his partner. "We need you for a spy."

**.x.x.x.x.**

Yoko twiddled his thumbs. This failing to alleviate his boredom, he twiddled his fingers in general. He was still bored. He sighed deeply.

"Yoko, are you even listening to me?" his closest advisor shot.

He raised an eyebrow. "Something about politics. Fascinating. I'm sure you can take perfectly good care of it all, Hiei."

Hiei's eyes narrowed. "Look, Yoko, this is important."

"Yes, whatever." His stomach growled. "When's supper?"

"Not until you take this seriously."

"I AM taking it seriously!"

"Then what is the current crisis involving Taijir?"

"Um…more disputes over gold imports?"

Hiei deadpanned. "Very good. But that was this time LAST year. This is far more serious."

"I'm really quite sure you can handle it. Wait, isn't the kitchen staff on strike?"

"Yes, they are, but that has nothing to do with Taijir."

Yoko looked down his nose at his friend. "This is a much more pressing matter. We cannot go without a well-cooked dinner."

Hiei put his face in his hand. "Yoko…"

"Now if you'll excuse me, Taijir can wait. I need to find someone around here who can cook."

"I suppose the impending war is of no import, then."

"Not compared to dinner. Wait…did you say WAR?"

**.x.x.x.x.**

"Think about it, Botan. This is for your country. We must conquer Ekistu at all costs," Lord Koenma urged.

She was still somewhat in shock that THE lord of the land would come to HER to spy. "But…why me?"

Koenma exchanged glances with his dark-haired partner. "We've…ah…been watching you. Observing, really, to get an idea of your skills…er…"

Botan stared, jaw about at the floor. "You were STALKING me?"

"Observing, Botan! OBSERVING!" he insisted. "Anyway, there's no time to argue! This is the PERFECT time for you to infiltrate Yoko's castle!"

"I haven't agreed to help you yet, Lord Koenma sir!"

"All right, fine. Do you want to know the REAL reason we chose you?"

"Yes, actually."

He uncomfortably rubbed the back of his head. "You're an excellent cook."

**.x.x.x.x.**

Hiei glared at a random spot on the floor, causing it to start smoking. He should not have been trying to find a replacement cook. He should have been working out a treaty of some kind with Taijir. But NOOO, FOOD was more important to Yoko!

Sometimes he wondered why he didn't just take over the kingdom and get it in more competent hands. He all but ran it as it was.

But he had to admit, Yoko kept the people loyal, and in that sense, was a great ruler. They loved him.

They wouldn't love Hiei. They would fear Hiei, lest he destroy them.

…Maybe it wouldn't be such a good idea for him to run a country after all.

A booming knock on the door brought him out of his thoughts with a bang, and the floor would have breathed a sigh of relief if it could breathe. Frowning inside and out, he jerked it open with a snap, his deep blue velvet tunic swirling.

"Yes?" he shot.

The blue-haired girl at the door smiled nervously. "Ah, hello, I've heard that you need a cook?"

Hiei's crimson eyes narrowed. "Perhaps. Who might you be, woman?"

Her smile widened. "Oh, good! My name? I'm Botan!"

He opened the door and led her in. "Are you from this country?"

"Born and bred!" She grinned at him.

Slight suspicion flitted across his mind, but he put it aside. "Which town?" he inquired, starting for the kitchen.

"Yii," she answered without pause.

Yii was about three miles away. It was easily conceivable that she had walked that distance, but how would she have heard about the strike so quickly?

"Then how were you informed of the need?" he swiftly inquired.

"I've been staying with relatives in this city for a few weeks, looking for a job."

Hiei shoved open the dark, heavy doors to the kitchen. "In here," he ordered. "You'll have a one-week trial period, so I will no longer have to waste my time on such useless things as staffing. Lord Yoko will determine if you stay on after that."

She shifted nervously. "Ah…where will…?"

"You'll sleep in there," he cut her off, pointing at a smaller door in the corner by the stove. "Go to the laundry to get uniforms."

"And where…?"

"Down that hallway on the left. But deal with that after you prepare food for Lord Yoko—and myself." He shut the door on her, determined to force Yoko to pay some heed to the coming war.

**.x.x.x.x.**

Botan looked around the small room, a small expression of approval on her face. The wooden floor was worn but clean, the bed nicely made with pale blue linen and a thick white cover. There was a small window on the wall with a white eyelet valance, and a small wood night table with a brass candlestick on it, matches right beside. There was a flat-topped, ironbound chest with a lock and a porcelain bowl for washing just beside it. Overall, it was bright and well kept, and she felt quite sure that it would do very well.

She shrugged off her spring green cloak and draped it on the trunk, then pulled her apron out of her back and went back into the kitchen. She'd show this Yoko she could cook, and after that…

Well, that was up to Lord Koenma to decide.

**.x.x.x.x.**

"Well…that was an incredible meal! Where did you find such a cook, Hiei?"

"She just showed up, asking for the job. Now about Taijir…"

"MUST you talk politics at the table?"

"Yoko…" Hiei growled, "This is important."

Yoko's ears twitched merrily. "All right then. I'm ready to listen. What precisely is going on with Taijir?"

Hiei smirked. "Finally. Well, to make a long story short, they want our land and the sapphire mines. Apparently Taijir thinks us weak enough as to be finished off with a single military strike."

Golden eyes glinted. "Sounds like fun."

His friend and advisor rubbed his temples. "I thought you said you were going to take this seriously…"

His silver tail swished menacingly. "I am, Hiei." A dangerous smirk crossed his face. "I'm ready for war."

"But Yoko, Taijir is a force to be reckoned with. They have a very good chance of conquering us."

"But they've failed every time before!"

"I have received information from one of our spies that Lord Koenma is planning something new…something sure to defeat us. This is as yet unverified, but we cannot charge into this recklessly."

Yoko sighed. "So what do we do? Wait?"

"For now." Hiei nodded. "But we keep our eyes and ears open. The spy also informed me that one of our others was discovered."

"And killed?"

Hiei smirked gravely. "It seems he is not so lucky as to receive death."

The lord's eyes hardened. "Did he reveal anything?"

"No. The memory suppression spells became effective in time."

"Who was it?"

"Not disclosed. But I'm nearly sure it was Karasu."

Yoko relaxed. "Ah. Never liked him much anyway."

"But he was one of our BEST, Yoko. This is serious. How many more will we lose before we find out what Koenma is planning?"

He gazed seriously out the window at the setting sun. "Hopefully not many."

**.x.x.x.x.**

Someone had once said that Botan was born to get lost. By the time she finally found the laundry room, she was inclined to agree.

"Umm…hello?" she called into the empty room.

A head with long chestnut hair poke out from another open door. "One second…"

A moment later, a tall woman dressed in a deep blue dress, the sleeves rolled up to her elbows, stood in front of Botan, arms crossed. "Are you the new cook?"

"Yes!" Botan voiced brightly.

The woman grinned. "Hey. I'm Shizuru, head of household here."

Botan blinked. "But…"

She laughed. "Yeah, I'm young. But I have connections, and those are everything, right?"

The other smiled. "I suppose. Umm…"

"You need a uniform, right? I bet I have one around here that'll fit you fine…hang on a sec…" Shizuru tapped across the stone floor to a cabinet in the far wall. She opened it and pulled out a few blue bundles, before finding one she seemed to find right. The woman returned to Botan, carrying the bundle. "Here. If it doesn't fit, don't hesitate to come back and look around for one yourself. What's your name, anyway?"

"Botan! I'm very pleased to meet you, Shizuru!" she gushed, taking the dress.

"Hey, just out of curiosity, have you seen the big guy yet? Lord Yoko?"

Botan shook her head, ponytail flying. "Not yet. What does he look like?"

"Well…picture the most handsome guy you can. Then give him silver hair, ears, and a tail. Oh, and amber eyes and an ass to die for."

She laughed. "It sounds like you're attracted to him!"

Shizuru laughed in return. "To Yoko? Nah. I mean, he's gorgeous and all, but he's not my type."

"Well…I suppose I had better go to bed…it's getting quite late, and I'm very tired," Botan said gently, adjusting her hold on the dress.

"Yeah, you're right. I'll see you tomorrow, Botan! It's nice to have another girl around the place who's not afraid of me."

She tilted her head in confusion. "Why are the other girls afraid of you?"

Shizuru winked. "You'll see. Have a good rest; you'll need it."

Grinning, Botan started the maze-like trek back to her room, and the welcoming bed.

**.x.x.x.x.**


	2. Getting to know you

**Morning Roses**

**Chapter 2: Getting to know you**

Disclaimer: Don't own.

A/N: I love everyone who reviewed, and check my LJ (www (dot) livejournal (dot) com (slash) users (slash) lexi (underscore) teniro) for your responses. I've been having a lot of fun with this fic, and I love it, and I have TWO betas, nicknamed Beta R and Beta M! …You didn't particularly need to know that, and they aren't official betas, but whatever. I'll stop rambling and get on with it.

**.x.x.x.x.**

Two people in the palace arose at the same time. They both moved to their appropriate windows, one crossing her arms on the windowsill, the other slumping into a chair. She smiled brightly; he glared at a random bird. Together they thought one single word:

_Mornings._

**.x.x.x.x.**

After glancing out the window happily at the bright sunrise (_Another nice one!_ she thought happily), Botan glanced down to see a small white kitten rubbing her leg and purring.

"AI! He's so CUTE!" she cried, picking up the cat and cuddling it. It mewed happily and she giggled. "I'll take care of you!" Holding the kitten in arm and holding her lavender shawl closed with the other, she slipped out of her room into the kitchen. She searched in the poorly organized drawers and cupboards until she found a small blue porcelain saucer, which she filled with cream from a pitcher in the cold box. Botan placed it on the floor and squatted next to it while the kitten happily drank its fill.

She laughed lightly. "Hungry, huh?"

It burped at her.

"Disgusting creature. Appalling lack of manners."

Botan looked up at this new arrival—a tall, silver-haired man dressed in a forest green tunic, pale gold loose shirt, green breeches, and white hose. But the most amazing parts of him were his ears and tail. She gaped for a moment.

One corner of his lips turned up smugly in a pure male ego-boost. "I assume you're the new cook."

She nodded, completely lost for words.

His arms idly crossed as he walked towards her, his ego swelling to the max. "I was expecting breakfast sooner."

Botan nodded numbly again.

An eyebrow rose. "Don't you know who I AM?"

Another nod.

"Well?"

"FUZZY!"

His eyes shot open and his giant bubble of ego popped when suddenly a certain blue-haired woman was latched onto his rear. And not his butt either (insert immature giggle here).

His tail.

Was.

Being.

FUZZLED.

He, the Great Lord Yoko Kurama, was being fuzzled as if he were a common pet fox.

Oh, the degradation.

Although it's very hard to feel bad for him, honestly.

Botan wasn't aware of any of this. She just knew that silver fox fur had to be the softest, fluffiest, most wonderful thing to fuzzle EVER.

Yoko was in a perpetual state of shock. She…was…touching…his…tail. He should have her put to death. But…it felt so…good…

He felt himself start to purr. And he couldn't stop.

She noticed this and ceased the fuzzle-fest immediately.

The demon coughed slightly and glared at her. "NEVER do that again."

The cat meowed happily.

Botan giggled and Yoko turned his glower on the cat.

It mewed sweetly at him and he scowled more.

"I love cats!" Botan exclaimed at him, picking up the kitten.

"I don't."

"Why not? They're so sweet!"

"They're vile spawns of devils."

"You're not a morning person, are you?"

"How dare you admonish ME, vermin?" (1)

**.x.x.x.x.**

Yoko glared at his plate and moodily poked the food around. "If she wasn't such a good cook…"

Hiei raised an eyebrow. "Hn? What?"

"Do I have to finish EVERY sentence?"

"Yes."

"You're not a morning person, are you?"

"And who are YOU to talk, Yoko?"

He glared at the table. "…Just eat the damn lunch."

"I'm already finished," Hiei replied stoically.

"Then I have a job for you."

Hiei mentally groaned. This had better not be what he thought it was…

**.x.x.x.x.**

"Hello woman."

Shizuru raised an eyebrow at him. "EXCUSE me?"

Hiei glared at her. "Shizuru, then."

"Hey, Hiei," she grinned.

He continued glaring. "Address me appropriately."

Shizuru smirked challengingly. "Well, technically, as you are manager of international affairs, and I'm the manager of household affairs, we're exactly the same level of 'nobility'."

"…Hn."

"So, I say again, hey, Hiei."

He glowered.

She grinned. "What are ya here for? I assume not to get your clothes cleaned, since then you'd send a servant."

Hiei crossed his arms across his deep red tunic. "Hn. Your assumption is correct."

"Then…?" Shizuru raised her eyebrow and crossed her arms right back at him.

"He needs to find out more about the new cook. Now I'm leaving."

Shizuru grabbed the end of his black headband. "Hold it, mister. WHAT does he want me to find out about her?"

He glared. Again. "You know Yoko. Bodily measurements, marital status, etcetera."

The woman laughed heartily. "Yeah, sure. No, really."

Hiei deadpanned. "I wasn't kidding."

Shizuru's laugh immediately turned into a dark chuckle. "OH. Well, tell him that her sizes are none of his business, and that -I- will take care of getting her clothed and so forth. And that she's single." She winked.

He sighed. "If you insist. And I loathed talking to you, as always."

"Pleasure, Hiei."

The door slammed shut behind him.

Botan stuck her head out from behind a pile of laundry. "So he's Hiei?"

The other woman nodded happily. "Yup. Mr. I'm-too-cool-to-talk-to-anyone-but-Yoko himself."

She giggled. "He was a little…shy."

"Shy? No, honey, that's not shy. That's self-absorbed."

Her blue ponytail flipped. "I think you should give him more of a chance."

Shizuru grinned. "Botan, I do. Believe me. We're much better friends than we let on. And Hiei's just a big softy deep down."

"A softy?"

"Yeah. When I fell off the third story balcony, he caught me without a moment's hesitation."

Botan gasped. "Were you frightened?"

"Hell yeah. But really, I was fine."

"What did he say?"

"Hn."

"…No."

"Yes."

She laughed merrily. "Well, so he IS shy!"

"I'm telling you, it's self-absorbed."

"Did he blush?"

Shizuru cupped her chin in her hand. "Come to think of it, I believe he DID!"

"Then he IS shy!" Botan bubbled.

"But then again, his hand was on my breast."

A grin spread over Botan's face. "I still say shy."

"Self-absorbed."

**.x.x.x.x.**

Hiei's ears were ringing badly. He had heard once that when your ears rang, someone was talking about you. He just wished whoever it was would shut up. He had work to do.

_Bet it's that damn SHIZURU…_

**.x.x.x.x.**

Yoko was waiting anxiously for his subordinate's report. He had already guessed her chest size, of course, being the observant demon he was, but he dearly wished to know for sure.

Said subordinate entered.

He stood quickly from the comfortable gold plush chair. "Well?"

Hiei glared. "You are horrifically perverted."

Yoko shrugged. "Is there a problem with that?"

"I thought you hated the woman."

"But you can't deny that she IS attractive." Yoko smirked suggestively.

His friend deadpanned. "Is that the TRUE reason you're keeping her on staff?"

"No. She really IS a good cook."

Hiei ran a hand distractedly through his bangs. "Do you still want my report then?"

He eagerly nodded, looking like a puppy about to receive a scrap from the table.

"Single, measurements not disclosed. And she was listening in on the whole conversation."

Yoko raised an eyebrow, amused. "And you didn't mention it?"

Hiei shrugged his shoulders uncaringly. "It wasn't worth it to expend the energy."

"Or would it make Shizuru happier to think that her hiding place for the girl was better?" The eyebrow traveled higher, and his lips turned up even more.

The crimson-eyed demon remained nearly silent, his cheeks bearing the tiniest hint of pink. "Hn."

"Well," Yoko said with a smirk, "I'll see you later. I have some matters involving appropriate attire to attend to."

"You're getting her measurements."

"Something wrong with that?" he inquired innocently.

"Everything."

"What makes you say that, dear friend?"

"You."

**.x.x.x.x.**

A/N: Yes, it's short for such a long wait. But I wanna post before I have absolutely NO time. So please review! (Grin)


	3. At least my plants like me

**Morning Roses**

**Chapter 3: At least my plants like me**

Disclaimer: (Checks pockets) Well, I don't think I own them…

A/N: About the (1) note from last chapter which I neglected to put…

(1) "How dare you admonish ME, vermin?" is from Demon Diary volume 1.

Now that that's out of the way, check out my LJ for responses, as I don't feel like using their new system, since I tend to back reviews up anyway. Call me old-fashioned, lazy, whatever, that's what I do.

And now, our feature presentation.

**.x.x.x.x.**

A knock on the large mahogany doors of the kitchen startled Botan's head up, her cheeks flushed from the heat of the oven, a cheerful saffron kerchief holding her hair out of her face. "Come in," she called.

Yoko strode purposefully in, silver ears twitching with excitement. "Hello once again."

"Ah…Lord Yoko!" she acknowledged brightly. "Is there some reason you're here? Was the food satisfactory?"

"It was…" he paused and flicked his tongue over his pearly fangs. "…Quite delicious."

This made Botan SLIGHTLY uncomfortable. "Ah…well then…umm?"

"I'd like to show you around the castle!" he said conversationally, as if the last ten seconds had never happened. He walked briskly out the room, and Botan had no choice but to follow him, head spinning.

_What IS this guy?_

**.x.x.x.x.**

"…And my personal favorite, the gardens!"

Botan gazed around in obvious awe. "Wow…who tends all these?"

The gardens were well worth her admiration. The low bushes of white roses rimming the garden blended gently into first pale, then bright pink ones. Perfectly manicured lawns ran between hedges, with sturdy little white benches in the sweet-smelling caves of flora. A tiny stream filled with glistening gravel cheerfully bubbled through the center, and it was on a footbridge over this sparkling water that Yoko and Botan were standing. A smug smirk crossed his face as he answered her. "Why, ME, of course!"

Most other women would stare, laugh, or at the very least write the guy off as a, no pun intended, pansy. But Botan was not most women. Instead of any of these, she beamed hugely. "That's incredible! You run the country and still manage to find time to garden?"

He shifted uncomfortably and rocked on his heels. "Well…I don't REALLY run the country…Hiei takes care of that. And the plants mostly tend themselves…they just like me."

She frowned. "I've never heard of plants liking a person…"

His face was openly hurt. "Everyone…or thing…likes me!"

Botan raised an eyebrow challengingly. "-I- don't like you."

A silvery ear twitched. "OH?"

She nodded, fighting back a grin.

He slipped his arms around her waist and pulled her close enough that she could feel his breath on her ear. "We'll just have to work on that then, won't we?"

Just as Botan was about to respond by melting into him, two loud coughs interrupted them. Yoko's head whipped around to see the (very annoyed) chocolate eyes of the head of household, and the (equally annoyed) ruby ones of his friend. The sight of a pissed-off Shizuru was enough to make him let go of Botan in a flash, raising his hands in a gesture of truce. Hiei glared at him.

"Can you not control your hormones out of my sight for ONE day?"

"I was just playing!" he whined, disappointed that Botan had left with Shizuru.

"She is too emotionally fragile for your 'games'!" snapped Hiei.

Yoko glared at a rosebush. "Who made YOU the father? And what were you doing with Shizuru in my rose garden?"

"Don't change the subject!" Hiei snapped again, but his cheeks were most definitely pink.

**.x.x.x.x.**

It was quite a while later when Botan discovered the pink rose at the top of her ponytail. Beneath her blush she wondered when Yoko had put it there, if indeed he had. Hadn't he said something about the plants tending themselves? Still mildly curious, she placed the rose in a shallow bowl of water on her windowsill and slid into a chair beside it. Resting her chin in her hands, she gazed at it thoughtfully, enjoying the way the late afternoon sun shone through the glass in a warm palette of oranges and reds, glancing off the water and refracting all over the small room. Suddenly, her head snapped up, a devious smile on her face.

THERE was a way to get Lord Koenma all his information.

So simple, and so perfect.

She would get Yoko to fall in love with her.

After all, how hard could it be? She had seen him eying her figure, and then there was the matter of the rose…simple, really. A bat of the eyelash here, a bell-like laugh there, and he would be hers.

Maybe she could even MARRY him, and then…

_Whoa. Hold it, Botan. Marriage would mean that YOU would have to love HIM, too._

_And that is one thing that will NEVER happen._

**.x.x.x.x.**

Hiei grumbled to himself as he strode along the stone corridors of the castle, kicking at carpets and the odd cat. Curse that Yoko. Why did he have to go after almost everything female that crossed his path?

_It's because he's a damn womanizer, that's why._

Well, the real reason Hiei was striding along the stone corridors of the castle kicking at small animals was simply that dinner was late, or WOULD be if he didn't start smelling some cooking very soon.

Hence why he was on his way to the kitchen. To get that lazy blue-haired cook moving.

However, he would never fire her.

_How could I? She's…_her

Annoyed at himself for growing soft, he quickened his pace, trying to ignore the little white kitten pouncing on his shoes.

**.x.x.x.x.**

Opening the door to her little room after banging on it for a solid three and a half minutes, Hiei confirmed what he was almost certain of to begin with. That troublesome cook had fallen solidly asleep. The room was dark, so he grabbed a match and lit a candle, setting it on the windowsill opposite the side that she was leaning her head on. He glared at her for a moment before trying to shake her awake. She mumbled something that sounded suspiciously like "just five more minutes," then turned her head on her crossed arms and faced away from Hiei. His right eye twitched twice, and he shook her again.

"Get up. Supper is late and Lord Yoko is irritable."

She didn't so much as have a minor muscle spasm.

Ruby eyes narrowed in pure irritation. "Get up, you lazy woman, or I'll be forced to sent Yoko himself down here to wake you up."

Not an eyelash flutter.

A hiss of air escaped from between his teeth. Well, she asked for it…

**.x.x.x.x.**

Yoko was not very pleased by the news that his cook was sleeping on the job. No matter that she was attractive. A food-deprived fox is not a happy fox, and Yoko was definitely NOT HAPPY.

Consequentially, he stormed down to the kitchen, fully intent upon firing the woman if he did not get food SOON.

Livid with rage and hunger, he flung open the door behind which our blue-haired sleeping beauty lay. Sat.

Glowering fiercely, he crossed his arms and attempted to wake her with the power of his mind alone. This failing, he stepped closer. "Woman…" he growled, "if you do not wake up and make me food SOON, you will no longer have this job. Is that clear?"

Botan gave him exactly the same response she had given Hiei. That is to say, absolutely none.

"WOMAN!" he shouted.

A finger twitched, but that was it.

He planted his feet firmly on the floor in front of her, glaring down on her sleeping face. Then the pink rose caught his eye, and a smirk of pure male satisfaction flitted briefly across his features, dissipating his anger in a flash. He grabbed the trunk and pulled it over, sitting down on it and staring at her closed eyes with a kind of childish intensity. Slowly his gaze traveled lower, over her pale blue lashes and small, upturned nose, down to her rosy lips and pointed chin, slowly taking in the long lines of her soft neck and elegant collarbone to the inevitable neckline of her dress. This was stared at intently for a moment, before her welcome small shift and the drop of the fabric.

Yoko didn't even notice that he was leaning forward to get a clearer look at this freshly exposed skin until a firm hand whacked him painfully across the cheek, sending him backward off the trunk.

"Good evening, Botan," he managed congenially, rubbing his offended facial area.

She glared at him. "Next time it won't be my hand, but a frying pan."

"I don't doubt it," he murmured, slightly frightened of the irate woman.

It was with relief that he watched her storm into the kitchen, and with relief that he went back up to the dining hall to await his food.

**.x.x.x.x.**

A/N: (Bows) I'm sorry it's so short (and late), but I would like to postpone the next part to the next chapter…which should be MUCH longer. Really, think of this as a half chapter. Please review, despite its brevity. …Please?


	4. How 'bout an army of cats?

**Morning Roses**

**Chapter 4: How 'bout an army of cats?**

Disclaimer: I own four DVDS andeight manga. Doesn't that count for anything? (Mope)

A/N: Sorry it took so long…please hit me. Ow. LJ for responses, and onward we go!

**.x.x.x.x.**

Many days passed. Many things happened. None of these things, to Botan, had any significance. However, to Yoko, Hiei, and most of the citizens, these days and events brought the impending war ever closer and ever realer. Many were in a panic.

Botan was playing with her cat.

**.x.x.x.x.**

"Here, Ava! Oh, you missed!" she laughed, twisting her wrist to send the thin red ribbon flying (and the little white cat right after). Her candle flickered and she glanced up at the window to see a dark figure.

"Who…?" she began, starting over, letting the cat have the ribbon.

"Meet me at the bridge in the rose garden in five minutes," a familiar tenor voice intoned. "We need to speak."

"Lord Koenma, sir!" Botan cried, leaping over to the sill in a moment.

"And PLEASE try to be quiet…the LAST thing we need is that Hiei figuring everything out."

"What about Yoko, sir?"

"He's too much of an idiot."

She had no reply to this. "Five minutes, my lord?"

"Yes. And DO hurry, these midnight meetings take time up better spent sleeping."

Biting back a grin, she nodded. "Yes, Lord."

**.x.x.x.x.**

Wrapped tightly in her bright red cloak against the chill, she slipped out a back door and into the gardens. The moonlight pooled in watery puddles on the gravel paths, which her ashen shadow disrupted with dark ripples as she walked along to the rose bushes. She crept past the roses, uneasily feeling as though they were watching her. The tall shadowy form turned to face her, and its dark hood fell from its face. Botan lowered her head in respectful greeting. "Sir."

"Hello, Botan," Koenma replied briskly. "Well? What is your report?"

"Ah…well…"

He raised an eyebrow. "Yes?"

She scratched the back of her head. "I was too busy getting settled in to really notice anything…but…he likes food quite a bit. And women. Oh, and he hates cats!"

Koenma's face found its way to his palm in a gesture of utter exasperation. "Anything…IMPORTANT?"

She dug her toe into the dirt. "He…umm…well, wouldn't those be weaknesses?"

"What are we going to do, march into the castle with an army of CATS?"

Her face brightened. "With all due respect, sir, that might work!"

A moment passed while Koenma pried himself out of the nearest rosebush, the thorns seeming to lock into his clothes and only hinder his release, an action that Botan could swear they were doing gleefully.

"No, Botan, that was supposed to be sarcasm."

"…Oh."

"Anyway…" he said quickly, brushing himself off, "continue to gather information. Trust no one, least of all Yoko. But get THEM to trust YOU." He yawned widely. "I need sleep."

Botan's head shot up. "Sir?"

"Hmm?"

"I could poison him!"

"Who?"

"Yoko!"

"Horrible idea."

"Why?"

"We don't want him dead yet."

"…Oh."

"Wait!"

"What?"

"You could—not now, mind you, in the future—poison him!"

"Sir?"

"Yes?"

"That's what I said."

"Of course it isn't. Now Botan…another matter…" he leaned in slightly. "Don't get…well…ATTACHED to Yoko."

She blushed crimson. "Sir! That would most certainly NOT happen!"

Koenma frowned. "I just want to be sure, Botan. He IS known to be a bit of a lady-killer, and I don't want you falling for him. That would ruin everything."

"I know, sir."

"…And…uh…" he rubbed the back of his brunette head. "…We'd have to get rid of you. And I would not like that."

"May I ask why, sir?"

Briskly, he tucked his cloak closely around him. "That is all. Farewell, Botan, I shall contact you again in a few weeks."

**.x.x.x.x.**

Koenma stood in the dark, shivering. Botan had long since left, and midnight was fast approaching.

So was his second informant.

"Sir," the cloaked figure murmured, bowing.

"You're late."

"I apologize. I was…delayed."

He shuddered again and rubbed his arms under his cloak. "Any news?"

"Hiei is building up the fortifications by the Finma mountain pass. He expects us to attack there."

"Excellent. What about thePton River? Are we clear there?" he inquired urgently.

"Perfectly. There's one small guard unit that can be easily crushed."

"What would I do without you?" Koenma sighed.

The informant smirked. "Lose the war, of course."

**.x.x.x.x.**

The birds were chirping merrily as the sun peaked over the edge of the hill. Bees droned quietly among the dew-drenched blossoms of the garden as a butterfly flitted cheerfully among them. In the entire castle, there was but one person who would appreciate this lovely morning, and she was still asleep.

Shizuru was not that person.

"Hey, Hiei, what were you thinking, mouthing off at me like that yesterday? And then you just ignored me!"

"Hn." He glared at her.

She crossed her arms and glared back. "Don't you 'hn' at me, mister! I'm trying to HELP you with all this crap, and how do you thank me? 'HN'!"

"Hn."

"Bastard!" she hissed, trying not to yell at him.

"If you insist," he replied, and left the kitchen with a loud bang of the door.

Shizuru glowered at the wood, fists clenching and unclenching by her sides. Botan stumbled into the room, rubbing at her eyes. "What was that?"

The woman gave a strained smile and exhaled. "Nothing. Just Hiei."

"Whaddid 'e want?"

She sighed and cracked her neck loudly. "Ah, just breakfast. Man's a terror in the morning before his tea. You'd better get dressed and start cooking."

"M'kay…" Botan yawned widely. "What time izzit?"

"Too late to start breakfast by the time YOU'RE dressed. All right, how's this: I'll take care of food this morning, and YOU do laundry. That work?"

Botan nodded sleepily and headed back into her own room.

**.x.x.x.x.**

Dismayed, pink eyes wide in an indescribable display of dismay, she held up an undergarment with two fingers. Said undergarment belonged to Yoko. She swallowed uncomfortably and plunged it into the wooden tub full of hot, soapy water. It wasn't as if she had never washed clothes before, but a MAN'S UNDERGARMENT…

Botan moaned miserably when she looked down and realized that she had worn the fabric thin in several places from scrubbing. Or had that already been there?

"Enjoying yourself, I see."

She whipped her head around, redder than anything. "D-don't sneak up on me like that!"

Yoko grinned. "I enjoy sneaking up on you. Almost as I enjoy your face just now."

The girl glowered at him. "I hate you."

"You don't mean that, do you?" He pouted sadly.

Despite herself, she laughed. "No, I guess I don't. Well, not much."

"You didn't cook for me this morning," he said abruptly.

Botan winced. "Sorry…I just…I woke up so LATE…"

"Shizuru did it instead, am I correct? So THAT'S why you're doing the laundry…"

She stared at him. "How did you know that?"

Yoko wiggled his eyebrows at her. "I have my ways."

A laugh bubbled out of her lips and escalated to full-blown giggles, to the point where she had to clutch her sides to stay upright. He frowned, playfully offended.

"What do you find so funny, pray tell?"

"Y-you! Everything!" she giggled.

He raised an eyebrow. "Oh?" With one swift movement, he shoved her shoulders so she fell back straight into the washtub with a shriek. Soaked and spluttering, she shook her head and sent water flying onto Yoko's silk tunic, permanently staining it with dark polka dots. He plucked at it in mock indignation. "How DARE you!"

Botan tried valiantly to get out of the tub and failed miserably. "How dare YOU! I'm SOAKED!"

In a very gentlemanly way, Yoko neglected to notice the way her dress was clinging to her most indecently.

Yeah. Right.

The man smirked and yanked her out by both wrists, pulling her close to him. "Why…you look so…COLD. Would you like me to get a towel?"

She glared without any venom. "That water was HOT! And I can get my OWN towel, thanks!" The girl twisted away from him, blushing, and ran to a cabinet on the wall, hiding her face from the man. He bit back a grin at her blatant avoidance tactics, happily eying her comely figure, only for his face to fall moments later as she wrapped herself firmly in a bulky pink towel. He didn't even know they HAD pink towels…

Well, one learned new things every day, right?

Like, for example, that when Botan's hair was wet, it draped over her shoulders in a very becoming way.

…Very becoming indeed…

**.x.x.x.x.**

"Don't trust Yoko. He's a horny bastard," Shizuru said bluntly.

"HEY! I finally tell you something and you respond with THAT?" Botan retorted playfully, feigning offence. "Anyway, I KNOW not to trust him. If I did, I would be an idiot!"

"You're an idiot anyway."

Shizuru rolled her eyes. "No one asked YOU, Hiei!"

The short man crossed his arms. "I need to speak to you, Shizuru."

She sighed loudly in annoyance. "This laundry won't do itself!"

"Of course not. The blue-haired woman will take care of it. NOW, Shizuru." He glared as fiercely as he could—and being Hiei, that was, to put it lightly, FREAKY.

"It's not my job to do laundry! I'm just helping Shizuru!" Botan cried, throwing her (pink) towel down in disgust.

"This is much more important."

The girl raised an eyebrow. "What? You need her THAT desperately? Waiting to propose, or something?"

Looks of disgust contorting their faces, the other two flushed pink across their cheeks and glared at Botan.

"That is NOT FUNNY, GIRL," Hiei spat, eyes shooting fire. Only not literally, of course.

"Botan, I love you dearly, but if you EVER so much as SUGGEST that EVER AGAIN, I will—(a/n: The completion of this line has been censored for the keeping of the rating below something very high for extreme violence)!" Shizuru said sweetly.

Botan busied herself in the laundry, somehow managing to suppress a smile. "Well, I need Shizuru HERE, Hiei, so unless it's VERY IMPORTANT…"

"This is VERY IMPORTANT," Hiei forced through clenched teeth, barely controlling his temper (and his blush).

"Fine, fine!" Shizuru allowed, standing up and drying her forearms on a towel (also pink). Her sturdy shoes thumped the flagstone as she carelessly tossed the towel away and linked arms congenially with Hiei, not helping his blush. "C'mon, shrimp, let's go."

"Let go of me."

"I don't feel like it."

"NOW."

"Nyah!"

They exited, and Botan, a small smile on her face, plunged her arms back into the soapy water.

"And now, the prey, alone, is captured by the skillful hunter…" a smooth voice, laced with teasing, purred in her ear as strong arms wrapped around her waist from behind. The girl squeaked loudly and jumped about a foot in the air. Yoko chuckled. "Hello, Botan!" He gave her waist a final squeeze and released her. "You ARE fun to frighten."

She sternly insisted that her heart stop beating so quickly and loudly, as it was drowning out her thoughts. The heart responded angrily, saying that she should listen to it much more often, and stop with all that following-reason nonsense. The brain quite firmly retorted that reason was better than following one's heart, as that led to nothing but trouble. Botan shook her head, ponytail flipping, and twisted more away from Yoko. "What do YOU want?"

The man shrugged. "I was hungry and bored. They led to the same place. Make me food."

Botan gestured helplessly at the laundry. "I have to do this!"

"Isn't that Shizuru's job?"

"She's attending to other business."

"What kind of business?"

"Ask Hiei."

He raised an eyebrow. "I think I'll do just that. But leave the laundry for now. Make me food."

A giggle bubbled out. "Fine. One moment."

**.x.x.x.x.**

"Mmph mm mmf mmmph mf mf…" Yoko commented, eating the stew that Botan had managed to whip up. She sweatdropped.

"Uh…glad you like it!"

**.x.x.x.x.**

Late that evening, Shizuru trudged back to the kitchen from finishing the laundry, which a certain young cook had left undone, even after supposedly working on it all day. She was about to leave when she heard muffled voices coming from Botan's room. Curious, she quietly crept to the door and pressed her eye to the lighted crack. Chocolate irises widened in shock at what she saw.

Botan was locked in a tight embrace with none other than Hiei.

**.x.x.x.x.**

A/N: (Grin) Ha ha. I leave it there, for your speculation as to WHY, precisely, Botan was with Hiei (IN HER ROOM, no less!). Review, and I might update faster this time! Cookies and cyber-plushies to reviewers!


	5. Peonies and Foxes and Cats, Oh My!

**Morning Roses**

**Chapter 5: Peonies and Foxes and Cats, Oh My!**

Disclaimer: I STILL don't own it.

A/N: Sorry this one took forever. But we had midterms, and the latest show I'm in opened (and closed), and there was vacation, and writer's block, and…enough with the excuses and on with the plot!

**.x.x.x.x.**

"That…shrimpy little TWAT of a man…no. He's not EVEN a man. That shrimpy little twat of a RAT. A stinking flaming RAT who…GRR!" came the irate mutters of one VERY annoyed Shizuru, stalking down a stone corridor with laundry in arms. "Well," she continued to herself, calming down slightly, "it's not like he's anything to me. This isn't jealousy. He's just a pathetic lying CREEP WHO DESERVES TO—oh. Good day, Lord Yoko."

A silvery eyebrow rose. "Who is this shrimpy little stinking flaming pathetic lying twat-like rattish creep you speak of?"

"Hiei."

"Ah. I see," he replied, falling in step with her down the cold hallway. "So, did he break your heart, or something?"

Using physics to her advantage, Shizuru swung the heavy laundry basket with all her might and sent Yoko flying into a velvet tapestry of, ironically enough, a fox hunt. "NO, YOU MORON!"

The man rubbed his shoulder and gazed contemplatively at the wall hanging, pointedly ignoring the steaming woman to his left. "I should probably get that accursed drapery burnt. It deeply offends me."

"DON'T IGNORE ME! This is about YOU, too!"

His ears perked up and he spun around eagerly. "Me? What's about me?"

"Conceited idiot…" she breathed, but he fortunately didn't catch it. "You see," Shizuru began again, much louder. "Hiei seems to have a little 'thing' going with dearest little Botan."

The tip of Yoko's tail began to twitch and spasm. "Indeed…?"

She nodded; glad to have finally caught his attention. "I really don't know what it is, but I'm worried for her. He's an ass."

"Worried or jealous?" The tables didn't just turn at this—they did loop-the-loops and died.

Shizuru gaped at him like an attractive, blue-dressed laundry-carrying fish. "Worried, you idiot!"

He shrugged. "Well, you do seem AWFULLY concerned."

The woman attempted to shake this off. "Look, you're a fox. I need you to help me figure out what's going on."

"Why CERTAINLY, my dear Shizuru!" he chirped, ears pricking up. "I have precisely the method! We shall all dine together tonight!"

She began walking again; reminding herself that she WAS doing work. "I'm not sure if I have any confidence in this 'method' of yours."

"My DARLING Shizuru," he slid an arm around her shoulders, smiling condescendingly and completely ignoring her disgusted look, "I am a PROFESSIONAL. I am certain this will succeed quite well."

**.x.x.x.x.**

Botan looked uncomfortably around at the other three faces in the room. Yoko was smiling in a more than slightly disturbing way, Shizuru was intent on her food, and Hiei just appeared bored. She noticed the fire demon's food steaming just a BIT more than everyone else's, and made sure to scoot her chair further down the table.

The awkward silence continued, broken only by the ticking of the clock and clinking of utensils.

Shizuru glanced at Hiei. Hiei glanced at Botan. Botan glanced at Hiei. Hiei glanced at Shizuru. Shizuru glanced at Botan. Yoko glanced in a mirror and sleeked the fur on his ears.

Silence.

"Umm…great stew, Botan!" Shizuru forced out between glances.

"Thank you," she replied loudly, wishing it wasn't quite so tense.

Yoko finally noticed that he was not, in fact, the only person in the room, and he turned to Hiei.

Shizuru had a feeling in her stomach akin to radioactive frogs doing the tango.

"So, Hiei," the fox began cheerfully, "Do you—"

"LIKE THE STEW?" Shizuru blurted out. Under the table, she kicked Yoko hard across the shins, and was satisfied when he winced.

"It is excellent," he replied, somewhat bewildered.

Yoko raised his eyebrows at Shizuru. "He likes the stew," he reiterated slowly and meaningfully.

Shizuru kicked him again.

Botan turned and stared at Hiei, nonplussed, and his expression echoed hers.

Eyebrows were raised and shins were kicked.

The head of household cleared her throat. "So, ah, Botan, what do you think of the current situation with Taijir?"

She stiffened slightly, determined not to give anything away. "Impossible," she started guardedly. "It seems that nothing we do will avoid all-out war."

"I agree," Hiei responded with a smirk. "But I say that we attack them first and torch the bastards, slaughter their armies—"

"Hiei, not at supper, if you'd be so kind," Yoko interjected, seeming slightly green. Botan was quite appalled and Shizuru bit back a grin. The short man muttered obscenities down at his plate and returned to ingesting his food with a vengeance.

After another moment of silence, Yoko's eye glinted. "And Hiei, what do you think of the LAUNDRY?"

Hiei slowly raised his head, bemused. "…What do I think of the LAUNDRY…?"

The fox was kicked, but he chose not to notice. "Yes, the laundry. Is it usually done to your satisfaction?"

"Perfectly well…" he answered slowly, staring across the table at the smiling face of his liege as though the straight jacket were about to rip. Botan locked eyes with Shizuru and communicated an unvoiced question akin to "what the hell is going on here?". Shizuru looked away and attempted not to giggle (or kill Yoko).

"Ah…what is going on?" the blue-haired woman finally inquired.

"Well, you see—" Yoko began, before Shizuru cut him off.

"Lord Yoko is considering giving me a raise, and he must know if—"

Yoko clamped his hand over her mouth. "—The laundry is being done to satisfaction. After all, a raise must be earned!"

Shizuru viciously bit his hand and spoke for herself. "He was also thinking of promoting me and hiring new staff, in which case he needs you to help with—"

"—The hiring process. After all, you did SUCH a good job selecting little Botan here. Speaking of which, I have a question for you, Hiei. Who do you—"

"Pardon me, Hiei, Botan, but I have to speak with Lord Yoko for a moment!" Shizuru grabbed him by the sleeve of his tunic and hauled the protesting fox into the corridor.

After a brief pause, Hiei walked over to the door and shut it. He turned and looked at Botan, eyes serious.

"Do you think they suspect anything?" he inquired, coming back over to her.

She sighed and picked at her stew with her fork. "They suspect SOMETHING, but I just don't know WHAT."

Hiei lifted her chin, forcing eye contact. "So we agree there's a problem. What are we going to do about it?"

Botan studiously avoided his ruby gaze. "I don't know. You're the brilliant tactician…what do you suggest?"

He released her and started to pace. "Well, we need an excuse for this sudden closeness. The problem is, it has to be a plausible one."

They pondered in unison for an endless silence, before Botan spoke. "Well, what if I was teaching you to cook? I could be planning on a visit to my family, and Yoko can't go without his food, can he? Simple solution, no questions asked!"

Hiei raised an eyebrow. "It certainly will take care of Yoko. But will Shizuru believe it?"

She shrugged. "We'll just have to hope, won't we?"

**.x.x.x.x.**

"What were you DOING in there?" Shizuru exploded in a maelstrom of verbal abuse, most of which cannot be repeated for the public good.

Yoko winced. "What do you mean?"

She glowered at him. "You said you'd be SUBTLE. You said there was NOTHING TO WORRY ABOUT. You nearly just GAVE US AWAY! …And I'm not JEALOUS of Botan! I just want to know what's going ON!"

"Of course you do," Yoko responded seriously. "Your love drives you to intense curiosity about your darling Hiei's every movement."

"Can you take this SERIOUSLY?" she shot irately.

"My dearest Shizuru…" he said sincerely, gently taking her hand. "I am of the utmost sensitivity to your plight, and wish it to be known that I am available for emotional support at any time."

She snorted.

The lord huffed in offense. "What?"

"Look. A sexy woman in nothing but her undergarments."

"WHERE?"

"Knew you were lying."

He sniffed sadly. "You are cruel to me. I am trying to help you!"

"Well, you're not doing a very good job. Just look at what your brilliant idea about DINNER turned out like!"

"That was because you didn't let me handle it entirely on my own!"

She rolled her eyes in exasperation. "If I had let you handle it on your own, you would have ended up inviting Botan to spend the night with you!"

He stroked his chin thoughtfully. "That isn't that bad of an idea…"

Shizuru took a deep, calming breath and clasped her hands behind her back so that she couldn't throttle the demon. "Please, just listen to me. And take it seriously."

"I took what you said PERFECTLY seriously—"

"I DIDN'T mean for you to take my SARCASM seriously!"

**.x.x.x.x.**

"…They still aren't back."

"…Yeah, they aren't."

"…Would you go…?"

"Yes."

**.x.x.x.x.**

Hiei closed the door on the banquet hall, soft shoes silent on the stone floor of the hallway. He crossed through passages and chambers, following thegentle murmurof voices. Turning a corner, he spotted them—just as Lord Yoko himself pulled Shizuru into a firm lip-lock.

**.x.x.x.x.**

"What the HELL did you just do?" a disgusted Shizuru cried out. She wiped her mouth avidly on her sleeve, noting that Hiei had disappeared

"I kissed you," he replied matter-of-factly, sporting a cheerful grin.

"But WHY?" she wailed.

"Because, dear Shizuru, I figured it out! What we need to do…" Yoko spoke excitedly, "is to make THEM jealous!"

**.x.x.x.x.**

A/N: All right! I'm leaving it there so I can post quickly! With any luck, I'll have another chapter out before the weekend is over! Review! Constructive criticism welcomed!


	6. She's Your WHAT?

**Morning Roses**

**Chapter Six: She's Your WHAT?**

Disclaimer: If I owned YYH, world would go boom. (Grin)

A/N: I'm starting this the day after finishing the previous chapter…let's see how long it takes to finish.

**.x.x.x.x.**

"Good morning," Hiei spoke stoically, seated on the wooden trunk beside Botan's bed. Her eyes blinked blearily open.

"Uh…? Oh, g'm'rning Hiei…" she mumbled, pushing away her bangs with one hand and swinging her legs over the side of the bed. Botan sat up and stretched, sighing contentedly. "What time is it?"

"Time to start our first 'lesson'."

She smiled at him. "Excellent."

There was a pause.

"Uh…Hiei?"

"Hn?"

Botan gestured at her trunk—which he was still sitting on. "I need to get dressed."

"Of course." He stood.

Another pause.

"Hiei?"

"Hn?"

"I can't get dressed until you leave the room."

"Of course."

**.x.x.x.x.**

Breakfast was late. Yoko didn't like when breakfast was late. Breakfast made him happy, and when he didn't have breakfast, he wasn't happy. And breakfast was currently taking its own sweet time getting to the table.

He turned and glared at the door to the dining hall, half hoping that cursing it with his stare would cause it to open and food to pour in. This naturally failed, and he decided that if the breakfast wouldn't come to him, he would have to revert to his demon roots and hunt it down himself. The lord pushed back his chair, scraping it on the flagstone floor and snagging the carpet. He attempted to quietly open the door to the corridor. It squeaked loudly. Demonically, he crept along the hallway; wincing each time his feet met the ice-cold rock. He yelped very shrilly when a spider dropped in front of him, before he viciously ripped it apart with his claws.

Suddenly, an eerie wailing noise drifted down the hall, quite evident to his sensitive ears. He froze, not happy that he had taken a route without any windows. It was dark: the torches were not yet lit in this part of the castle. Cautiously, trembling from the tips of his ears to the end of his tail, he crept down the dark, dank passageway. The noise grew louder, and he glanced fervently around, searching for the source of the ghostly cry. Yoko rounded a corner, heart pounding, just in time to see a white, ghostlike figure come running towards him at top speed. He screamed.

**.x.x.x.x.**

Hiei looked up from his plate on the kitchen table. "Did you hear that?"

Botan tilted her head. "Hear what?"

"That noise."

"What noise?"

"That scream."

She froze. "Is there a…you know…ghost, in this castle?"

"That was no ghost."

Her eyes widened. "Then what—?"

Hiei shrugged. "Probably Yoko."

"…Oh."

**.x.x.x.x.**

When Yoko finally identified the source of his absolute terror, he nearly broke down into tears.

"Mrow?"

Yes, it was his old arch-nemesis, the little white kitten.

He pried the cat's claws out of his leg and picked it up by the scruff of its neck, glaring at it. "You spawn of Satan. You evil incarnate. You are going in the fish well next time I catch you. Or maybe I'll tie you up in a sack and leave you in the middle of a wagon rut to get run over. Or perhaps I'll put something toxic in your milk, then happily gut you by hand as you twitch pathetically on the ground."

The cat stared cutely at him.

He glared angrily back.

It blinked.

He didn't.

It's stomach growled and it meowed pitifully.

"…Your breakfast is late, too?"

"Mrow."

"…Fine. Come with me. We'll get that pretty cook to feed us both." He put the cat down and started walking again.

"MROW!"

Sharp nails dug into his shoulder and the kitten made itself quite comfortable. Yoko glowered at it. "No. You walk." The lord pulled it off and once again placed it on the floor.

Once again it launched itself onto his shoulder and sat there, bright eyes staring straight ahead. He sighed and gave up. He was too hungry to even attempt to fight this battle.

**.x.x.x.x.**

Hearing voices within the kitchen, Yoko shushed the kitten and pressed his ear against the door.

_"No, you can't stop! It won't stay creamy!"_

_"Like this?"_

_"Faster!"_

_"All right, all right! Want to switch places?"_

_"What, are you getting sore already? Honestly, I thought you'd have more endurance."_

_"…"_

_"Better?"_

_"Yes."_

_"But…hey! I'm doing all the work now!"_

_"Hn. It's your own fault for listening to me."_

_"Oh! Ouch! It burnt me!"_

_"Need me to kiss it and make it better?"_

_"Stop making fun of me! It really hurt!"_

_"…"_

_"…"_

_"…"_

_"Well? How does it taste?"_

_"Excellent."_

The corner of his eye twitching, the lord threw open the door, fully intending to launch in on a tirade about relationships within the workplace when his jaw hit the floor.

Hiei whipped around, face bright pink…nearly the same shade as the ruffled apron that he had on.

Botan turned too, still stirring the pot of soup on top of the range. "Hello, Lord Yoko. Didn't you hear about the lessons?"

"Less…ons…?" he asked dumbly.

"Yes; I'm going to visit my family, so I'm teaching Hiei how to cook." She smiled sweetly at him.

The apron was quickly reduced to a smoldering pile of ash in the corner, but the blush didn't go away.

Yoko managed to close his mouth. "Ah…I…see…" The cat meowed sadly, reminding him of his hunger. He cleared his throat. "Breakfast. I need breakfast."

Botan tilted her head. "You didn't get my message?"

"What message?"

"You had to come here to get your breakfast this morning so that you could tell Hiei the particular way you like it cooked…I figured that you had just slept in."

He nearly burst into tears.

"Well, you're just in time for lunch!" Botan said optimistically.

"Lunch?" Shizuru entered with a basket of laundry. Hiei discreetly kicked the smoking pile of burnt fabric into a corner.

The kitten mewed happily.

"Finally, we agree on something," Yoko sighed at it.

**.x.x.x.x.**

Some time later that evening, Yoko was back listening at the door. This time, his companion was not feline, but Shizuru.

"What are they saying?" she whined. "They're too quiet!"

Yoko silently agreed, but put a finger to his lips to remind her of the need for silence, lest they be given away.

_"…I…"_

_"…Haven't seen…"_

_"…Do they…anything?"_

_"…Know…"_

_"…Ideas, dear…?"_

_"None, sister…"_

Shizuru and Yoko stared at each other for a second, before losing their balance and falling with a crash to the hard floor. Moments later the door was flung open by Hiei. Judging by his expression, they had 2.18294 seconds to live, and that was already past.

"How much did you hear?" he hissed.

"Nothing! Absolutely nothing!" Shizuru squeaked anxiously.

"Just that Botan's your sister!" Yoko squeaked at the same time.

They were dragged inside the kitchen and the doors slammed shut with a very final-sounding THUNK behind them.

**.x.x.x.x.**

_We were young, and we were happy. That summer was fruitful and temperate, the crops grew green in the field, and we were happy. That was the important part: that we were happy. Life was wonderful and our parents loved us. The days were long and full of surprises. She was the adventurous one, always goading me into exploration and races. The smallest thing would make her smile. A butterfly landing on a flower, a fish jumping in a pond, a turtle coming out of its shell--all were miracles, beautiful and irreplaceable._

_Then our whole world came crashing in around us._

_The soldiers came like so many bugs, from our own country, pillaging and raiding. I suppose their summer guarding the border may have been rough, but our village was who paid in the end. And while my parents, neighbors, and friends were being slaughtered around me, my best friend and closest companion grabbed my hand and started running with me towards the forest._

_The ground where we finally lay down was wet with my tears and blood._

_When I awoke the next morning, she was gone._

_I crawled to the hilltop, looking down on the smoldering plain. Everything I had ever known was gone, torn from my fingers in a few hellish hours._

_And I didn't cry then. I was angry. Angry with the soldiers, angry with myself, but most of all, angry with the Lord of our country, who would allow such a thing to occur without raising a finger. No, I didn't cry then, but I vowed that this Lord who had taken my entire life away would suffer for it, and suffer by my hands._

_By the time I managed to make it to the high-ranking position I now hold, the old Lord was dead and his son was my liege. I couldn't give up my hopes for vengeance, but this sincere fool of a leader was not responsible for my pain. I was at an impasse._

_And then…she came back._

**.x.x.x.x.**

_In the chaos of the soldier's attack, I grabbed his hand and ran for the refuge of the woods. We tripped and cried, I got scratched and beaten by wayward branches, but we pressed on. My foot caught in a thick tangle of roots and I crashed to the ground, unable to call out for Hiei to stop and wait. He was gone before long though, and I cried, curled up on the fallen leaves and moss of the forest floor. I must have slept, for my next memory is of daylight streaming through the trees and a kind, gentle old face above me._

_The old man, Grandfather as I came to call him, took me in. We lived comfortably, but not easily, in a small house on the edge of the woods. When he died, I lived on in the house, tending the few animals and the stray cats that frequented the shed in the back._

_But the money ran out, and I came here for a job._

_And then…I saw him again._

_Of course, we didn't realize it at first, because we hadn't seen each other in almost thirteen years. He didn't want to tell either of you, feeling it a betrayal that he had only come here to kill the previous Lord. I told him that we could skip telling the full story, but he insisted on absolute honesty._

_So…here we are. In absolute honesty._

**.x.x.x.x.**

A/N: 3.5 hours. Lyk omgz. That's gotta be a new record for me. Enjoy! I'm updating twice in a weekend! Aren't you proud?


	7. What goes around

**Morning Roses**

**Chapter Seven: What goes around…**

Disclaimer: Thus disclaimed.

A/N: …Yes. It's a new chapter. Aren't you excited? (Grin) And I have given into the pressure and am using the response system (mostly because I backed up reviews…two months? And had to respond to all of them…(SWEAT) ). ANYwho, to continue with this SHOCKING plot twist!

**.x.x.x.x.**

"So…here we are. In absolute honesty," Botan finished softly.

Shizuru and Yoko were silent.

Hiei turned to look at Yoko. "I assumed you thought something much different, so we felt the need to come up with an excuse…but you found out, thus rendering it moot."

Botan tilted her head and her eyebrows furrowed. "What 'different' would they think?"

Yoko looked at Shizuru. Shizuru looked at Hiei. Hiei looked at Yoko. Botan looked confused. "What?"

"Well…I believe _Miss Shizuru_ should explain that," Hiei meanly directed at the brunette. Shizuru flushed.

"Hiei—"

"Because, after all, it was certainly not a demon lord presence I was continually feeling _trailing _me the last two days," he shot, crimson eyes narrowing. She twisted uncomfortably and wrung her hands.

"Hiei—"

Hiei's eyes flashed angrily and he slammed his hands on the table in front of him leaning right into Shizuru's face, spitting out each word with venom. Botan's eyes widened in alarm. "Well, one can't blame you. I would probably do the same thing if _I_ were jealous. However, now there is no _reason_ for me to be, as I could never _dream_ of being jealous of any man together with such a suspicious _harpy_—"

Yoko stood sharply and wrenched Hiei back by his shoulder. "As _interesting_ as this little lover's spat is, I would prefer that my head of household is NOT reduced to tears, _Hiei_!" And, indeed, Shizuru was visibly shaking, holding back the inevitable flood.

The fire demon pulled away harshly, glaring at both of them. "Well, _Miss Shizuru_, are you satisfied now? You know for certain that _dearest _Botan and I were not together. But this jealousy is a bit hypocritical, I must say. After all, it was _you _who was kissing our Lord Yoko here. Not that I care. I hope you two are happy." Hiei was gone before any of the others could so much as blink.

Shizuru abruptly stepped back from the other two, staring at the floor. "If you would excuse me, my Lord, Botan…" she fled the room in as controlled a manner as she could, but Botan nevertheless noticed the tear sliding down the older woman's cheek. She didn't even bother to excuse herself to Yoko as she ran after Shizuru.

He blinked at the cat.

The cat blinked back.

He sat heavily in a chair with a sigh.

The cat leapt heavily into his lap with a sigh.

He glared at the cat.

"Mrow."

"I know what you mean."

**.x.x.x.x.**

Shizuru grabbed her plain brown cloak and ran into the rose garden, staring up at the bright warm sun, still determined to hold back as many tears as humanly possible.

"Shizuru! Shizuru!"

She turned, briskly scrubbing at her eyes. "Yes, Botan?"

"Are you all right?" the blue-haired woman asked, out of breath

"Perfectly fine!" responded Shizuru. "Really. There's nothing to worry about." Her smile was forced, and her lip trembled.

Botan hugged Shizuru tightly. "I'm sorry."

Her laugh came hoarsely, almost a bark. "For what, Botan? It's that rat Hiei who I want to apologize—going off like that."

"W-well…for Hiei and I not telling you sooner. But…I didn't think you'd think anything, and…well, I thought you didn't…_like_ him. I guess I was wrong."

Shizuru jerked away. "I DON'T like him. I never did and I never will."

Botan frowned. "But…you're always…he's always…"

"I'm always WHAT? He's always WHAT?" Shizuru snapped, a few tears leaking out.

She shrank back. "It's just…you two are so close…and…you were so upset, when you thought he…and…I…I mean…"

Shizuru laughed darkly. "You don't understand at all. Maybe you think you do, but you DON'T, Botan. So please…just…stop trying." She pulled her cloak closer, despite the comfortable warm breeze, and started off towards the bridge.

"Shizuru! Then what IS your relationship with Hiei?" Botan called to her.

The woman whirled around. "I told you! You can't understand! I can't TELL you! Don't you GET it? I CAN'T!" She fled down the path and away from Botan.

The cook turned and walked slowly back to the castle.

**.x.x.x.x.**

Yoko was roaming the castle, searching for his lost vassal.

That is, Hiei was having a temper tantrum, and he needed to find him before the castle burned down.

"Hiei! HIEI! Get out here! I command it!"

"I don't wanna," came the muffled voice of Hiei. He sounded just like an ornery fifteen-year-old boy. Except that fifteen-year-old boys aren't generally ornery up in the general ceiling-ish area.

Yoko rolled his eyes, for once feeling like the responsible one. "Hiei, get down! I hate having to run the country by myself! It's far too stressful! And on top of my personal life falling into ruins, I really don't think I can deal with Taijir!" A crocodile tear rolled dramatically down his cheek.

"What if I don't feel like it?" Yoko could swear that Hiei stuck his tongue out.

He threw himself to his knees. "Hiei! You don't understand! I…I can't handle being the most mature person in the room! It's bad for my constitution! I feel myself breaking out…my perfect skin! Oh no! My hair…it's falling out in CHUNKS! Hiei, you must stop this at once, or I shall die and the country will dissolve into ANARCHY!"

The mention of "anarchy" made Hiei lift his head and gaze down calculatingly upon Yoko. "Anarchy, you say?"

His head jerked back up from the flagstone that his nose had just been making good friends with. "Yes! Anarchy! Bad, bad state of affairs! Total mess for you!"

Hiei jumped down, landing about ten feet away. "So…burning villages, pilfering and plundering, death and mayhem, etcetera?"

Yoko nodded vigorously. "Yes! Horrible, horrible, horrible chaotic ruin!"

The demon pondered for a moment, before leaping back up onto his wooden beam. "Sounds like fun. Have someone wake me when you're dead."

**.x.x.x.x.**

"…Mrow?"

**.x.x.x.x.**

"Please?"

"No."

"Please?"

"No."

"Please?"

"No."

"Do you like Shizuru?"

Ruby eyes stared. "What do you mean?"

"Please?"

Ruby eyes blinked in confusion. "What?"

"Please?"

Ruby eyes narrowed into annoyed slits. "I'm not responding in the same way, thus your responses in the same way are not covering your previous question. So I ask: what do you mean?"

Yoko crossed his arms and pushed off from the wall he had been leaning on. "I mean what I asked…do you like my manager of household affairs?"

Hiei's eyes remained narrowed. "Do YOU like BOTAN?"

"Yes. Now answer MY question."

Hiei fell off the rafter and landed on the hard floor in a cloud of dust. He managed to right himself and brush the white powder off his red silk tunic, but his exasperation was vividly evident. "My point was that it was none of your business, but your intellect obviously isn't high enough to pick up on such sarcasm."

"But we should tell each other everything about girls! We're best friends!"

Hiei stared.

"Right?"

Hiei raised an eyebrow.

"…Right?"

Hiei raised the other eyebrow.

Yoko hung his head. "You are cruel to me."

"It's what I'm here for."

**.x.x.x.x.**

Several hours later, the occupants of the castle still hadn't figured out the twists and turns of the various relationships. However, Koenma knew nothing of this. He just knew that he was cold and his informant was late.

The garden was very empty. Stars twinkled in a dark, clear sky. Rosebushes stood as silent sentinels, rustling menacingly in the breezeless night air. He looked around, searching, and could not catch sight of the merest flap of a cloak.

"Where is that little…?" he muttered at a rosebush that looked just as chilly as him. It waved its leaves a little. His eyes widened. He blinked a few times. He licked a finger and held it up to try to find wind. There was none.

No. Of course the rose didn't wave. And it most certainly hadn't gestured in the direction of that cloaked figure hurrying towards him.

"You're late," the brunette man complained.

"I am sorry, my liege…" the figure replied, bowing at the waist. "I was delayed."

"And I am in a hurry. What else is new?"

"Well, I've learned an interesting tidbit…"

Koenma's ears pricked up. "Indeed? Of what matter?"

"Affections."

He leaned in a bit. "…You don't mean…? Hiei and Yoko…?"

"NO! Of course not!" the informant spat, appalled. "I think you've smelt a bit too much of these roses, my lord!"

Koenma crossed his arms under his red velvet cloak. "Hmph. What is the news?"

"It seems the little cook—Botan, is it?—is developing a little crush on Yoko."

He started. "…Oh…indeed…? …Well, what of Hiei?"

The dark form straightened a bit stiffly. "He doesn't seem to be interested in anyone. At ALL."

"Not really speaking of which…" Koenma looked up at the moon nonchalantly. "When are you going to tell me who you really are?"

A small smile was visible from under the shadow of the hood. "When you are no longer useful to me. How's that?"

Koenma tried to stammer a reply, but the informant had already slipped away. He sighed and turned to leave the gardens, making a mental note not to hire nameless spies at smoky, darkened taverns at midnight ever again—no matter HOW good their references were.

**.x.x.x.x.**

Hiei slipped back into the castle through the back door. He preferred to take his walks at night. The dark helped him think well, or so he believed. Mentally preoccupied with ponderings about how to deal with his castle-mates, he didn't notice the white blob of fur until he stepped on it. Said white blob complained loudly and Hiei winced, his demon ears ringing. In an attempt to silence the mewing cat, he stooped down and scooped it into his arms, wincing at all the white fur it was getting on his nice black silk shirt. The feline purred happily and rubbed into his chest, leaving even MORE fur on the shirt.

He wasn't really mad at it, as Hiei quite liked cats, but he glared anyway.

The cat naturally ignored him.

"I suppose I should take you back to Botan now, hmm?" he asked it softly.

"Mrow."

"All right."

He slipped down the corridors like a small black shadow, the cat obligingly staying silent. Quietly he crept into her room, keeping to the edges of the kitchen on the way there. Hiei gently opened the door and stuck his head in. The bed was still neatly made. Curious, he squeezed through and went to look around the room. The pink rose was floating serenely in its bowl, still as fresh as it was the first day she arrived (thanks, no doubt, to a bit of Yoko's mischief, he thought). Everything was in its proper place except the girl.

Hiei frowned and set the cat down then turned to leave the room. However, once he reached the door, he stopped.

There,softly lit bycandlelight, Botan was asleep at the table, head lying on loosely crossed arms. This wasn't odd. What was odd was that there was candlelight toby whichthe scene might be softly lit. The reason for this was immediately obvious. The demon lord himself entered the kitchen from the opposite entrance. Hieiquickly drew back into the shadows.

Yoko was soon revealed to be carrying a blanket, which he draped gently around Botan's shoulders. He softly brushed a stray strand of cerulean hair back from her cheek and nearly smiled before shaking his head and stepping back.

With a soft meow, the cat flew between Hiei and the doorframe and took a flying leap off the chair, then table, onto Yoko's shoulder. He expected the lord to drop kick the cat at the very least, but no! The surprises hadn't yet ended! Yoko stared at the cat for a moment, sighed, and flicked it gently before picking up his candle and leaving the room as silently as he had come.

Hiei watched the pitch darkness for a moment before exiting the kitchen himself, frowning in consternation. _Yoko had a sleeping woman before him and didn't take advantage? What new madness is this?_

**.x.x.x.x.**

A/N: What new madness, indeed? Well, you'll find out next chapter of Morning Roses! Until then, see ya! (Grin)


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